HOMILY FOR FRIDAY OF THE 19TH WEEK IN ORDINARY TIME CYCLE II.
THEME: Whether married or single we are all called to work together in the service of God’s purpose for our world and our lives, as revealed to us by Jesus.
BY: Fr. Diotacious Chikontwe SMA.
HOMILY FOR FRIDAY AUGUST 12 2022
*READINGS OF THE DAY*
Ezekiel 16:1-15,60,63
Resp Psalm Isaiah 12
Matthew 19:3-12
*LITURGICAL COLOUR*
Green
*FROM OUR FIRST READING*
In our first reading today taken from the Book of the prophet Ezekiel, we heard the Lord speaking to His people through Ezekiel regarding all that He had done for them, for all the years and ages, throughout all the generations. He had made His Covenant with them, blessed them and gave them and their ancestors much blessing and bounty, providence and help, as He rescued them, took good care of them, guided them, purified and made them clean again when they had erred and fallen into the wrong paths. He rescued them from their enemies and struck their enemies down before them, guarding and strengthening them, giving them glory and joy.
*FROM THE GOSPEL READING*
Jesus in today’s gospel deals with the question of marriage very wisely. He reminds us that marriage is something sacred. It is a union between who are in loved with each other and has been blessed by God from the beginning. God’s intention is that this union be permanent. Ideally the couple lives together and tries to work out the different problems and difficulties that sometimes occur. In other words, divorce and separation which is not the ideal, is not in the vocabulary of God. And the reason why Jesus condemns divorce is that, Christian marriage is a human expression of God’s love for His people.
*WHAT DO WE LEARN FROM TODAYS LITURGICAL READINGS?*
Dear Friends, today the Gospel is reminding us that, for those who have been called to married life, that bond of marriage as the Lord had defined it, is everlasting and unbreakable, and one who sought to break that bond with the reason other than that is acceptable, such as the desire to marry another person, is essentially committing a sin against God, the sin of adultery for both parties involved. In the same reading, the Lord highlighted that there are also others called to different calling and purposes in life, such as those who are destined for a life of service to God, and many among them will remain unmarried, and instead dedicating themselves wholly to God and His people
*CONCLUSION*
Dear brothers and sisters, what is important in todays readings is that, whatever it is that God has called us to do, in our various vocation and calling in life, each one of us are called to listen to God and to dedicate ourselves more to Him, and to listen to Him earnestly, not hardening our hearts and minds against Him as our predecessors had often done. We should also resist the many temptations present all around us, in the desire and pressure to seek worldly pleasures and satisfaction among other things.
May God bless us all with our different vocations we have received from Him. May He bless our Young people aspiring to answer to different vocations.
Have a Blessed Weekend.
Fr. Diotacious Chikontwe SMA